Heaven on earth

It has been said that Unitarian Universalists don't believe in people getting into heaven, UUs believe in getting heaven into people. Heaven is not "up there." Heaven, as Jesus told us 2,000 years ago is within you and among you. It is interesting that while Unitarian Universalism is no longer considered a "Christian" religion, it's principles more closely embody the teachings of Jesus than the churches of "cultural Christianity" do.

We all deserve to be happy. We all deserve to have a high quality life. If this does not seem to be so, something has gone wrong. What has gone wrong is not external to you, but internal to you intrinsic to who you understand yourself and your brothers and sisters to be.

When you truly believe that you and your brothers and sisters are extensions of the creator, all part of the Oneness, the light fills up your life which involves a feeling of bliss. Bliss is not pleasure, not happiness, not joy. Bliss is the feeling of flow, the melting away of the ego and consciousness of the cosmic.

The alarm bells should sound a loud warning when you begin to think of yourself or feel yourself to be a victim. No extension of God is a victim. Such a thing is impossible. Victimization is the work of the ego and blames others as persecutors. This is the great game, what Holden Caufield in Catch In The Rye called "the Big Lie."

No human being is inherently a victim but a being with inherent worth and dignity. It is this worth and dignity with which we need to be in touch and appreciate as precious.

Salvation, the At-One-Ment, heaven on earth is when everybody loves everybody all the time. When we know that we extensions of the divine and join with others to magnify this awareness, we hasten the time of creating heaven on earth.

Prophetic voices and events - Women's march on 01/20/18 in New York City

There is great hope and inspiration in seeing American women rise up in America to advocate for women's rights and dignity in the face of the mysogony of Trumpism.

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations.

Spiritual practice of the day #23 Master your fears.

Examine your life for your fears. What do you fear? When you have identified one or two things figure out a couple of ways to master it. If you cannot find any ways ask someone you trust for help.

In case you were wondering............

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Question of the day

To what extent does sharing alleviate loneliness in your life?

Question of the day - holiness

Do you know anyone you consider to be holy? 

Do you aspire to be holy yourself?

Do you aspire to be holy?

Having moved from being Roman Catholic to Unitarian Universalist, it seems that the word "holy" is not used as much, if at all in UU. The RCs have their saints that they revere as being holy and the holiness of the saints is to be emulated. In UU, the sacred, the reverential awe for people who embody the holy seems downplayed or even nonexistent.

Whatever happened to the adjective "holy"? We don't use it anymore. I can't remember when anyone used it in a reverential way. It gets used in a mocking way as part of vulgar exclamations such as "holy smokes," or "holy shit," but we rarely refer anymore to "holy matrimony," "holy orders," or a person as aspiring to be or as being "holy."

It would be helpful if we brought the word back and used it more in our daily conversations. If asked, "do you know anyone you would describe as holy" what would you say?

Holy means dedicated to God, consecrated to the divine, aspiring to be one with God. Knowing someone holy, and aspiring to be holy yourself can change your life. Aspiring to be holy means you have chosen the path of the spirit instead of the path of the ego. In making this choice to walk the path of the spirit and aspiring to be holy changes your life. Other people may or may not notice the holiness which surrounds you, but you know it because it fills you with peace and joy even in distressful circumstances when other people are agitated.

Holiness draws people together. People are attracted to it like bees to a flower. People become aware of the fragrance especially if they are on the path of the spirit and not the ego themselves.

It might be assumed that if you are reading this, you have embarked on the path of the spirit and are aspiring to be holy, dedicating yourself to the path of the spirit even if you haven't thought about your choice in these terms. Holiness attracts and takes delight in holiness. Holiness is aspired to for no rewards other than its own. It seeks and takes comfort in its Oneness with God. The litmus test for holiness is the desire to do God's will. Discerning God's will is the primary concern of a holy person.

Let's bring the word back. When you experience holiness acknowledge it and share it. When you see it in others take comfort, admire it, and seek to emulate the holiness you see.